Washington (Somalia Today) – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday pulled back from a threat to launch major military strikes on Iran’s power grid, agreeing instead to a 14-day ceasefire proposed by Pakistan to allow peace talks and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a sharp reversal just hours before an 8:00 pm deadline, Trump said he would “hold off the destructive force” planned for Tehran and credited Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with helping secure the pause.
The move brings a sudden and fragile halt to nearly six weeks of war that began on February 28. The conflict shook global markets and pushed the Middle East close to a wider regional war.
Hormuz in focus
Trump said the “COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING” of the Strait of Hormuz was his main condition for the pause. A large number of commercial ships remain stuck near the key waterway.
Tehran quickly gave a different account.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would suspend its “defensive operation” for two weeks if US and Israeli attacks stop. But he said Iran’s armed forces would keep control over the waterway.
That leaves a tense stand-off over oil tankers heading to Asia and Europe. It also puts at risk shipments of helium used in semiconductor plants and fertilisers needed for agriculture.
The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of the world’s daily oil supply. Any long blockade could badly disrupt global supply chains already hit by the six-week war.
In Tehran, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council called the ceasefire a victory. It said Washington had in effect accepted its peace plan, which includes guarantees against future attacks and continued Iranian control over the strait.
Sudden diplomatic turn
The pause reflects a familiar Trump approach to crises. He often raises pressure to the brink before suddenly stepping back.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump warned on social media that if Tehran ignored his deadline, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”.
But when he announced the ceasefire, his tone changed.
Just two days after calling Iranian leaders “crazy bastards” who would soon “live in hell”, he described Tehran’s rulers as a “different, smarter, and less radicalized” group. He said, “Something revolutionarily wonderful can happen”.
Pakistan’s role highlighted Islamabad’s delicate but important position in the region. Sharing a border with Iran while keeping close security ties with Washington, Sharif’s government became a rare channel for urgent backdoor diplomacy.
Nuclear issue unresolved
Despite the pause in fighting, the main causes of the war remain unsettled.
At the centre is the fate of an estimated 970 pounds of near-bomb-grade uranium that Tehran buried at a fortified site in Isfahan.
Washington and Israel have long demanded the full dismantling of Iran’s nuclear fuel stockpile. They also want strict limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles, which were badly reduced in the recent fighting.
Iran, for its part, wants the right to enrich uranium at home and the full lifting of Western sanctions. Tehran is also seeking broad compensation for damage caused during the past month of war.
The truce also carries political weight inside Iran.
By reaching an agreement with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Washington is in effect recognising the authority of a newly entrenched leadership under Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
The talks come less than five weeks after Trump publicly urged Iranians to overthrow the government.
A fragile pause
For civilians on both sides, the 14-day truce offers badly needed relief.
Iranian civilians endured weeks of strikes on infrastructure, factories, and schools. Israelis faced repeated missile attacks that often tested the country’s advanced air defence systems.
Analysts expect global financial markets to respond positively, especially in Asia. Some Asian economies rely on the Strait of Hormuz for up to 80 percent of their energy imports.
But experts say the truce remains unstable.
Once a ceasefire is in place, the political cost of breaking it rises. Trump and Israel may find it harder to justify renewed attacks. Both sides are claiming success while leaving the core dispute over nuclear enrichment untouched.
That raises the possibility that the war could end in an uneasy truce, with many of Washington’s original aims still unmet.
